Weekend Getaway: Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga.

Why was Easter so early this year? For me, Lent seemed to be extremely long, but then all of a sudden—BAM! It was Easter weekend. My parents are in the process of buying a house in Amelia Island, Fla. and we were thinking we would spend the weekend of Easter there. But of course, life never goes as planned and instead we found ourselves at a cottage on the Callaway Gardens property.

Originally I was hesitant, only because I wasn't sure what we might do with Fitz and Alex at Callaway for an entire weekend. Like with 98% of everything, I worried for naught.

Callaway Gardens, located in precious Pine Mountain, Ga. actually has a lot to offer families with kids of all ages. Since it rained off and on the entire time we were there, we didn't fully enjoy the hiking and biking trails, and the real star of the spring: Callaway's famous azaleas weren't fully in bloom yet. Even factoring that in we had an incredible time.

The cottages were fully stocked and made it so easy to transition to the weekend with F&A. Kitchen had everything you could think of, and we brought our own groceries to have dinner Friday night, breakfast both Saturday and Sunday and lunch Saturday at the cottage. Bonus!! Since they are part of the Callaway resort I didn't have to bring the pack and plays, they were already in the cottage when we checked in. I love not having to lug those things places.

Mark spent all of Saturday on the lake system fishing. I think he enjoyed some peace and quiet. His catch wasn't all that bad either.

While Mark fished my momma and I took the boys into town and browsed the shops. I fell in love with a little place called Whisk—a local Williams-Sonoma of sorts where I wish I could have bought the entire store. I found a few good finds, as I seemingly always do.

After the boys woke up from their naps we walked around the property a bit. As part of the Easter weekend celebrations, the Gardens had tethered hot air balloon rides available, and I OF COURSE couldn't pass up the chance to live my own Bachelor moment.

I'm so glad we didn't let the rain stop us from having a good time. Well, until the Easter Bunny and his weird looking green friend showed up.

After that completely traumatizing experience we trucked back to the cottage to get ready for dinner. We originally weren't sure about the food offerings in town, but spotted 153 Main Bistro shopping and decided to try it for dinner. I am very glad we did!!

A local favorite, 153 Main knocked it out of the park. We sat at a sidewalk table, which was perfect for F&A. Side note: one of my favorite things to do is enjoy a nice meal with the people I love over a great bottle of wine on a sidewalk. Known for steak and seafood, all three of us chose various meat dishes. I really enjoyed my bistro steak. Momma couldn't stop raving about hers either. F&A completely devoured the fried green tomato and okra plate we ordered as a starter.

This restaurant was a pleasant surprise in Pine Mountain and should not be skipped! You can call ahead to put your name on the list—seats fill up fast on Saturday and Sunday.

We enjoyed Easter Sunday mass at Christ the King and followed it up with brunch in one of Callaway's ballrooms. It was a buffet style brunch in a ballroom, so not out of this world but not garbage either. 

After brunch Mark and I just weren't quite ready to leave and decided to walk around the famous Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center.

F&A absolutely LOVED seeing all the plants and swirling butterflies. Another activity on my list that should not be missed!

All in all, I would say Callaway is a great getaway.

Day Trip: Hopewell, Va.; City Point National Park

I really love to travel. I always have and I always will. There's just something about a great adventure. Obviously, my love of adventures comes in handy when it comes to going on story gathering trips. Usually my trips consist of a lot of time in a car and lots of back roads and Hampton Inns.

On a recent trip to Virginia, however, I found myself with a few hours before an appointment in the very charming and historical city of Hopewell 25 miles south of Richmond. Hopewell is home to City Point, a National Park and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s headquarters and the Petersburg National Battlefield.

 I will be the first to admit that I am no Civil War history buff, but felt the urge to stop anyway. I am so glad I did!

Grant's headquarters are a National Park, so I was able to tour the grounds and the house with the aide of a Park Ranger. I was the only visitor on a dreary November day, and it seemed like the entire area was heavy. Heavy is the best word I can use to describe it.

I struck up a lovely conversation with the Park Ranger and he gave me a full tour of the Grants house, including some of the exhibits that were in the process of being restored. I was amazed at how small everything in the house was. I had to duck to clear the doorways.

 

One thing I did notice throughout the main house was the wallpaper. It's been on these walls for centuries and was still gorgeous.

 While we were walking up a set of somewhat rickety stairs, and my steel-toed boots made loud thuds, he said something that I don't think I will ever forget.

"These old places are full of stories, they will tell you many things, and you only have to listen."

Suddenly, the tour took on a new meaning; walking the grounds changed my point of view a bit. As our country struggles today, not unlike it did during Grant's time on t shores of this Virginia river, I couldn't help but be grateful for all the men, Union and Confederate, that helped bring us to this point.

We've got a long way to go, but we must not forget the sacrifices of these men (and their families) to make sure that America didn't fracture then, and won't fracture now. We might all have opposing views, but this country was built on debate, differences and acceptance. 

Day Trip: Little Washington, NC

A few weeks ago, on a recent Woods Barbie adventure, I found myself with an unexpected half day off. Instead of going for a long run or catching up on sleep, on a total whim I decided to head into Washington, NC, which looked like a "nice exit" off the highway. Boy, am I glad I did. I stumbled into an awesome little town, rich with history and plenty of things to do! Washington, about an hour and 45 minutes from Raleigh, would be the perfect weekend getaway!

When I think about the towns described in Nicholas Sparks novels, I think about Washington. This waterfront town is quaint, historic, and not without it's Southern charm.

 

 When I first got into the town I headed for the Chamber of Commerce. I was able to pick up quite a few helpful pamphlets and talk with a local on where to eat and what to see. I grabbed the information for the walking tour of Washington, and definitely hit a few of the spots, but I did not walk the full tour.

 

As early as 1585, the first English explorers visited the area that would become Washington. The town took shape in the 1770s and was named in honor of General George Washington. During the War for Independence, with Wilmington, Charleston and Savannah under British control, the Continental Army relied on Washington as a supply port. During the War Between the States, Washington fell early to the Federal troops and a fire destroyed the town. However, on the walking tour, and even just looking around, you can see many plaques, old buildings and points of historical interest. It was such a fun place to explore! 

I stopped for lunch at Down on Main Street, a local café with a view of the river. I enjoyed a chicken philly sandwich (amazing!) and grit cakes with some sort of spice I couldn't exactly place.

 The grit cakes were good, but that little bit of heat confused me a touch. I was expecting creamy and got a punch. I washed it down with a golden ale from a North Carolina brewery.

  After lunch I walked around the town and hit South Market Antiques & Little Shoppes, which boasts over 5000 sq. ft. of pretty much anything and everything you could think of. It was precious and had a good variety of items. I ended up bumping into one booth owner and chatted with him about my love for vintage jewelry.

I was able to pick up quite a bit of pieces, all very affordable. After my little shopping excursion I hit Rachel K's Bakery, another local favorite for a cookie the size of a manhole cover. Crispy edges and a gooey center, I can see why the women at the Chamber of Commerce recommended it. I grabbed a second cookie for the road and headed inland back to my hotel and, sadly, back to some writing.

 I don't often find myself able to have these little experiences while I'm gathering stories and I was so glad I made the time. I got back to my hotel actually feeling relaxed.

The Hardhat Diaries: The Great White North

As I don't always love to admit, I can be a little stubborn. So when I walked into my boss's office around Christmas and said I wanted to go to Maine in the beginning of February to get stories for our magazines, he told me I was nuts.

I of course ignored him and began gathering leads and setting appointments: Ready to head north.

It was an adventure from start to finish—including that quick day I spent in NYC during an ice storm!

But once I finally got to Maine, I couldn't have been happier, or frankly colder. I mean it was a different in that it was easily the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen. Remarkably, your body just adjusts, and instead of becoming an actual human icicle, as long as you are dressed correctly, -24° doesn't feel like you're shoved naked into a snow pile. I mean, it’s really, really, really, cold, but you can actually move your fingers around.

I will admit I was TERRIFIED to drive in four feet of snow, because I mean, FOUR FEET OF SNOW, WTF. Instead, I quickly learned that in Maine, snow is just a regular thing, and the plows, salt trucks, snow-throwers and other various winter-weather management machines handle the roads so it's actually quite nice to drive on. It was easier to drive on I-95 in Maine with four feet of snow on the ground than it is to drive on I-85 in Alabama during a regular rainstorm.

On the story trip front, there was nothing really out of the ordinary. I had great meetings, and saw wonderful scenery. I mean, seriously, beautiful.

 

Meeting with Chris and Jason Brochu at a coffee shop directly between their eastern white pine mill in Ellsworth, Me. and their corporate headquarters, and spruce mill, in Dover-Foxcroft, Me. reminded me of what I thought writing human-interest stories would be like. We had a great conversation and I was able to head from our meeting place, down the coast of Maine to their eastern white pine mill, right before it began shutting down for the day.

Once I wrapped up with the mill manager, I asked for a restaurant recommendation, as I hadn't eaten in about a day and a half.

 He recommended Finn's to me, an out of this world, traditional Irish pub. It reminded me of the pub from The Holiday, cozy, full of energy and great food.

So, of course, when on the coast of Maine, and you're told to go to an out of this world restaurant, the only thing you can do after your work is done is have some amazing freshly caught, wild-Haddock and a cider with the most incredible tomato-mac and cheese. #treatyoself

On my second to last day in Maine, I was fortunate enough to visit the continental U.S.'s northern most point: Fort Kent, a beautiful, vibrant small town. It is crazy to think that while I was stomping around in snow in front of the First Mile sign on Route 1, more than a few were probably sweating to death in front of a similar sign, in Key West, at the end of Route 1.

Logger Sherbey Morris and I had a great visit and I was able to see some equipment in action I never had before. As a wrap to our interview, he treated me to an authentic Maine red hot dog, at the best diner in northern Maine, one that’s been open since 1945, Rock's. It was delicious.

Sherbey's story has already been written, edited and printed, but my trip to Rock’s with him reminds me why it is I love this industry: Because when a writer from Alabama calls and says she wants to visit your operation, loggers not only say yes, but go out of their way to show how wonderful their slice of the world really is. 

The Hardhat Diaries: Bright Lights, Big City

So when I said I wanted to go to Maine in the dead of the craziest winter ever, I knew I was insane. But that's just how I roll.

I knew in my head that while my mother thought it was a huge deal, what with all the snow and all, that it shouldn’t be a big deal actually getting there. MAAAAANNNN, was I wrong.

Of course, I picked the worst day of the week to fly north, as a big snow and ice storm hit NYC RIGHT as I landed, leaving me, but shockingly somehow not my luggage, unable to get to Bangor. That's right, I was left with NYC for a day and night, while my bag traveled from NYC to Detroit, Detroit to Boston, Boston to Bangor.

Once it finally registered that I was actually alone in NYC for a day and night and staying in the heart of Times Square, with nothing but my camera bag, a totebag from the flight up and my fur coat, I think I actually started to cry.

See, I was dressed for a day of traveling, not a day of romping about the city. Nevertheless, I made it work. I bought a subway pass, charged up my phone (only to have it die on me) grabbed some cash and headed to "experience" New York.

Since I was on my per diem, and hadn't budgeted for an NYC experience, I tried to "do it" fairly inexpensively. At lunchtime, I found myself in Little Italy having one of the most phenomenal meals of my life. For $9.95, I had a three course Italian meal that literally warmed me to the core.

 Honestly, why have I never thought to dust my pasta gravy with cayenne AND crushed red pepper? And, I won't even talk about toasted sesame seeds on an Italian loaf…needless to say, this hole-in-the-wall is highly recommended.

After my adventure to Little Italy, still full and happy from my two red wine glasses and pasta arabiatta, I meandered around Chinatown, trying not to vomit into the snow at the various items for sale.

I wandered over to the Public Library and enjoyed a few open exhibits, which is sadly where my phone decided to stop working, leaving me alone with my thoughts in the city that never sleeps. It was incredible. I moved at my own pace, I fantasized about a life I'll never live, and only sang "Welcome to New York" to myself once. Okay, twice.

I headed back to my room before dinner, I had been up since 4 a.m. for my flight, and needed to decide about a dinner plan of attack. I ended up choosing the Heartland Brewery around the corner from Times Square, where my meal was "fine." Some of the best restaurants in the world, and I have a "fine" dinner. Alas, I was plumb worn out and already stressed about a week of interviews, my lost bag and knowing that I would once again have to get up around 4 a.m. to make my flight.

Thankfully, after one last late night stroll to Times Square, and a request of a friend back home to selfie with the fur, I said goodnight and goodbye to the busiest place on Earth

 

…only to be caught up in a "Stop, Don't Shoot" protest.

God, I love my life. Even if I spent a solid hour staring at the New York times Building, willing myself to go inside and demand to speak to HR: #thehardhatdiaries aren't too shabby. 

Mountain Weekend (Blue Ridge, Ga.)

This past weekend Mark turned ninety, so to celebrate we went for an early bird special dinner. Just kidding! Though, Saturday was actually his birthday and me being the traveler and reveler I am, decided we needed to have a little getaway for his birthday! 

After doing a little digging around, I settled on Blue Ridge, Ga. for a little two day, one night adventure. Before I get too into the details I should explain a few things. One: Mark is a very avid fly fisherman. Like avid as in we have former record holding stuffed fish in our hallway. Two: I love to tool around in a bathing suit reading a book. Meaning, we have quickly realized that “going fishing” is a fun activity for us both.

I also enjoy all the little friends I make while fishing, like these gorgeous iridescent blue butterflies.

The drive was easy, about fourish hours each way. On the way up Friday night we stopped off in Atlanta and hung out with my parents for dinner and spent the night in the same bed under my parents’ roof, which was really weird for me. Saturday we continued on, enjoying the drive.

Apparently, and I say apparently because I have absolutely no clue about fly fishing, fish or rivers, the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge is one of the best places to trout fish in the South. Mark had a blast. We fished in a few different areas over the two days and he was able to catch quite a few. He even got some new flies at the fly fishing store. And of course there were a few fishing related wrapped gifts from home. I'm such a sucker for a theme. 

We stayed at an in-town B&B, which was perfect for us. We were able to walk to dinner Saturday night at a fabulous outdoor restaurant, enjoy some good food and good music. It was a really relaxed and fun birthday.

 Sunday we woke up to the best muffins ever and fished some more before a quick walk around town and lunch. Sadly, after we ate we were on our way home. It wasn’t nearly a long enough weekend. Blue Ridge definitely had a lot to offer, if you like being outside. The water was a little too cold for my tastes, but lots of folks enjoyed tubing down.

 

The shops in town had some very cute pieces, and we came VERYCLOSE to buying a new side table for our bedroom, but in the end decided against it. Side note: one of my biggest pet peeves is all these new “restorers” and “furniture savers.” I too can go to a yard sale, buy a table, some chalk paint and sandpaper. Doesn’t make your table worth $70 or vintage. 

For the price, distance and enjoyment we had, I see lots of quick trips to Blue Ridge in our future. Plus, you really can’t beat this view.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

My all time favorite movie is a '90's classic: "The American President."  Set in modern day DC, mainly The White House, the President of the United States meets and falls in love with a lobbyist. It really is the best movie in the world. There's politics! There's sex! There's a whack job stinky poop face! You should watch it as soon as possible. (& make sure to let me know, because I can quote pretty much the entire thing and it's usually amusing to see.) In one of the scenes from the movie, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," a classic movie by Frank Capra, is referenced. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT GOOGLE IT BECAUSE YOU'RE EMBARRASING ME. Hence the title of this trip recap! #endramble

Over this past weekend DCK and I flew out to Washington DC! We hung out with friends, took in the sights and rode the metro. We also ate. And then ate some more. And then decided we were really proud Americans.  

Washington this go 'round was such a different experience than it was when I last went. As an adult I appreciate more of the history. I, also, standing in the middle of the Library of Congress, realized I am a huge nerd. Like epic nerd. Like I was disappointed I didn't get to hear all the guest lectures they have scheduled this month, nerd. Mooooving on.

We took in the sights...

 Marveled at buildings filled with beauty...

 

Paid our respects to those before us...

  Froze our asses off...

Showed Dixieland pride...

Fangirled so hard (not because of Obama, but the aforementioned favorite movie!)

Walked all around Georgetown U in search of a souvenir for my Dad's personal sports bar...

Witnessed what true dedication and belief in a cause looked like... 

 These protestors slept in front of the SCOTUS in the snow and rain days before arguments were heard. Before the general masses got involved in the cause. These people showed up; heads held high as they listened to a crazy man protest Roe v. Wade in front of the hoards of varying middle school tour groups. These people amazed me. Love is the most important thing that God has given us—in any and all forms. These people reminded me.

We ate at some of the most amazing restaurants I literally can't bring myself to eat a meal in Montgomery. I was also too busy shoving the food in my face to take pictures, so just trust me. The. Food. Was. Sensational. Ooof. It was a wonderful weekend and despite the 3:30am wakeup call and 6:00am flight back yesterday, I wouldn't have changed a moment of it.

Oh, and we had been batting around a certain possible location for our next BIG trip and then saw this on one of our many metro rides. It was clearly a sign...

So, basically, here we come Reykjavik. Can't wait to meet you (and the Northern Lights) in January of 2014.